Alert archive / Louisiana / Tornado Warnings in 2020

Tornado Warning 33, NWS Lake Charles, LA

May 17, 2020Evangeline Parish, Louisiana

NWS Lake Charles, LA issued this tornado warning at May 17, 2020, 7:21 PM CDT for Evangeline Parish, Louisiana. It was in force for 24 min. No storm report in the archive falls inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The outline as issued.

The facts

Issued: May 17, 2020, 7:21 PM CDT (00:21 UTC)
Expired: May 17, 2020, 7:45 PM CDT
In force: 24 min
Issued by: NWS Lake Charles, LA
Area: Storm-based polygon
Tornado: Radar indicated
Hail: 0.0 in

County Evangeline Parish, LA

The radar

The Ft Polk radar (KPOE), 70 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 00:23 UTC, the scan nearest the moment this went out.

Open the radar archive at this moment

The archived warnings, watches and discussions in force at that minute are drawn over the scan, this one among them.

The nearest sounding before it

Shreveport, LA (KSHV), launched 00:00Z, 0.4 hours before the alert went out and 232 km from the middle of its area. This is the routine balloon launch nearest before it, the air the forecaster had in hand, not a measurement taken for the alert.

Skew-T log-p

Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.

Hodograph

The wind turning with height, colored by layer: ground to 1 km, 1 to 3 km, 3 to 6 km, 6 to 10 km.

Mixed-layer CAPE: 0 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: No buoyant parcel
Mixed-layer LCL: 1472 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 29 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 123 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 176 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 0.0
Supercell composite: 0.2

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted.

121 
WFUS54 KLCH 180021
TORLCH
LAC039-180045-
/O.NEW.KLCH.TO.W.0033.200518T0021Z-200518T0045Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
Tornado Warning
National Weather Service Lake Charles LA
721 PM CDT Sun May 17 2020

The National Weather Service in Lake Charles has issued a

* Tornado Warning for...
  Central Evangeline Parish in central Louisiana...

* Until 745 PM CDT.
    
* At 721 PM CDT, a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado
  was located near Beaver, or 8 miles southwest of Turkey Creek,
  moving southeast at 25 mph.

  HAZARD...Tornado.

  SOURCE...Radar indicated rotation.

  IMPACT...Flying debris will be dangerous to those caught without 
           shelter. Mobile homes will be damaged or destroyed. 
           Damage to roofs, windows, and vehicles will occur.  Tree 
           damage is likely.

* This dangerous storm will be near...
  Pine Prairie around 730 PM CDT.
  Ville Platte, Mamou and Reddell around 745 PM CDT.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

TAKE COVER NOW! Move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a
sturdy building. Avoid windows. If you are outdoors, in a mobile
home, or in a vehicle, move to the closest substantial shelter and
protect yourself from flying debris.

&&

LAT...LON 3086 9250 3067 9224 3054 9242 3053 9245
      3081 9259
TIME...MOT...LOC 0021Z 323DEG 23KT 3079 9251 

TORNADO...RADAR INDICATED
HAIL...0.00IN

$$

24

1 follow-up statement

736 
WWUS54 KLCH 180035
SVSLCH

Severe Weather Statement
National Weather Service Lake Charles LA
735 PM CDT Sun May 17 2020

LAC039-180045-
/O.CON.KLCH.TO.W.0033.000000T0000Z-200518T0045Z/
Evangeline LA-
735 PM CDT Sun May 17 2020

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 745 PM CDT FOR
SOUTHEASTERN EVANGELINE PARISH...
    
At 735 PM CDT, a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado
was located near Reddell, or near Mamou, moving southeast at 25 mph.

HAZARD...Tornado.

SOURCE...Radar indicated rotation.

IMPACT...Flying debris will be dangerous to those caught without 
         shelter. Mobile homes will be damaged or destroyed. Damage 
         to roofs, windows, and vehicles will occur.  Tree damage is 
         likely.

This dangerous storm will be near...
  Reddell around 740 PM CDT.
  Ville Platte and Mamou around 750 PM CDT.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

TAKE COVER NOW! Move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a
sturdy building. Avoid windows. If you are outdoors, in a mobile
home, or in a vehicle, move to the closest substantial shelter and
protect yourself from flying debris.

&&

LAT...LON 3079 9246 3067 9224 3054 9242 3053 9245
      3075 9253
TIME...MOT...LOC 0035Z 323DEG 23KT 3072 9245 

TORNADO...RADAR INDICATED
HAIL...0.00IN

$$

24

The office that day

Everything else NWS Lake Charles, LA issued on the same UTC day.

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
May 17, 7:15 PM CDT	Special Weather Statement	LCH	Lafayette	45 min
May 17, 7:18 PM CDT	Special Weather Statement	LCH	Saint Landry	42 min
May 17, 7:23 PM CDT	Special Weather Statement	LCH	Vernon	52 min
May 17, 7:40 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	LCH	Allen	20 min
May 17, 7:54 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	LCH	Evangeline, Saint Landry	21 min
May 17, 7:58 PM CDT	Special Weather Statement	LCH	Allen	47 min
May 17, 8:14 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	LCH	Acadia, Evangeline, Saint Landry	18 min
May 17, 8:33 PM CDT	Special Weather Statement	LCH	Lafayette	27 min
May 17, 8:42 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	LCH	Acadia, Lafayette, Saint Landry	33 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Louisiana, 2020 Every tornado warning in 2020 Tornadoes in 2020

Sources

The product and its follow-ups from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service and Storm Prediction Center text; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.